Holy Roman Empire
by Cherokee Bonnefoy-Jones
Summary: The fall of the Holy Roman Empire. After a Russian predicted they would all die, they lost their most precious family member. But what does that have to do with amnesiac Ludwig, who has no memory of his past, or his family? Maybe some Italians and a couple Germans could help. Anastasia human AU Nyo!N./S. Italy and England GerIta and various side pairings
1. Death Notice

**Princess Atemna: Stupid Youtube. Stupid HRE=Germany Theory. Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor Christmas day, 800. That's my basis for his birthday. And I'm using Poland, Prussia, Austria, Liechtenstien, Switzerland, and Britain as all of HRE's siblings, since they're all German descent. Britannia is their mother.**

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><p>It was early winter in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire. They were holding a ball in Berlin, though the Emperor was in near refusal. But it was to celebrate his youngest son's birthday. Ludwig was turning ten today, Christmas. The boy in question was on the floor dancing with their little sister. The older boys couldn't help but laugh about how stiff Ludwig's movements were. He just didn't want to step on poor Lilli's feet.<p>

While everyone was watching the youngest prince, a small girl with auburn hair and a curl on the left side of her head watched as well, her older sister snacking on a tomato. Granted, the fruit wasn't the freshest. The shipment had to come all the way from Spain. "I don't see what makes this prince any different from his brothers," the older Italian remarked. "C'mon, Sorella, we need to get back to the kitchen." With that, she began dragging the girl after her.

The torch lights began flickering before going completely out. At the end of the room stood a man with platinum blond hair with glowing violet eyes. Vash and Roderich ran to Lilli and Feliks while Gilbert stood in front of Alice and Ludwig. Alaric held a protective arm out in front his wife so she wouldn't run to her children out of fear. "Ivan. Vhy are you here?" the Emperor demanded of the Russian.

"Why I no get invite? I thought this was for everybody, da?" Alice trembled in fear, sensing the newcomer's dark, glowing aura. She was the only one who could.

"You know vhy you veren't invited. You use dark magic and place terrible curses on those who get in your vay. I von't allow it. Now begone, demon. Und don't bother mein family again."

Ivan's face became slightly distorted into a sickening smile. "I will. Da, I will. But I warn you, if I leave, it no be pretty. I will love seeing your faces as you all die. One by one. I will get you all. If not now, then someday, da?" With that, the Russian turned to leave. "Maybe I start with that precious prince?"

Gilbert, as the oldest and protective older brother he was, wrapped an arm around his baby brother and held him close to his side. No. Not his West. Not West. Anyone but West. He was oldest. It should be him. He was 16, dammit! It should be him!

"Bruder?" Gott, that sweet face. What was wrong with that crazy Russian, anyway? How could that guy be okay with taking away this sweet little boy?

"I-it's okay, Vest. He's gone. I von't let him touch you. None of you."

"Bruder? I don't understand." Neither did he. Neither did he, West.

A year later, their father had fallen in battle, their mother becoming very ill afterwords. The empire was falling, ever since they lost in the fight against France. They were without an emperor and they could see the end of the Holy Roman Empire near. Seems Ivan was getting his wish.


	2. Get Out Alive

**Princess Atemna: Still hating HRE=Germany Theory. Yet I believe it. Pretty sure this is close to accurate. Minus Russia invading maybe. That part's totally made up. And I apologize now for Rome's accent. Accents I suck at writing are Italian and German. But I think I do fairly well. Hetalia's funnier with accents. And I think I got ti amo and te amo mixed up again. If I did, please tell me so I can correct it. This is kinda a look at how they all get out. These characters that live will be of importance and show up again later.**

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><p>It was early morning, not even close enough to be called daybreak. Yet Alice Kirkland-Beilschmidt couldn't explain why she was awake at such a time. Like most of her brothers and little sister, Alice had blond hair and green eyes. The eyes were a trait from their mother. Ludwig was the only one with their father's blue. Slipping out of bed, she stepped towards the nearest window and drew back the curtain. They would be put out of power soon. Everyone knew they couldn't continue the Empire as it once was. Italy had broken away, the Prussians excluded Austria from the borders when talking about the German nations as a whole, and more principalities like Liechtenstien were breaking away. Switzerland had broken away ages ago.<p>

They could barely keep an Empire together, let alone their diminishing family. Their father was dead while their mother was on her deathbed. It wasn't fair. Why did that Russian have to show up? Why did he have to want them dead? What had they even done to him to be hated and wished dead?

Then she felt something. Her brothers laughed at her a lot because she claimed to feel supernatual occurances, like Ivan's aura back on Ludwig's birthday. This felt very similar to what she'd felt on that night. Only now it was more powerful. Almost as if something had granted him power. And it was coming towards them. Without a second thought, Alice went to awaken her siblings and the others.

"LILLI! VASH, RODDY! Guys, wake up!" she yelled while pounding on their individual doors. "FELIKS! GIL! LUDWIG!"

Everyone rushed from their rooms, all wearing their night things. Gilbert got down to the girl's level and tried using calming tones with her. But it was no use. He wasn't their father, and he sure as heck wasn't their dying mother. "Ali, vhat's vrong? Tell bruder."

"I-Ivan. He-he's on his w-way here. **N-now**. He's coming for Ludwig. I just know it." Gilbert was surprised he could understand through the girl's sobbing.

"Not if I can help it. I'm gonna stop being unawesome and letting this stuff go by. Now I'm gonna stop it." The albino sibling stood and looked at the others gathered before him. "I'm trusting that Ali's telling the truth about being able to sense this crap. Now, Vash, Roddy, I vant you to get the others avake und out of here. Feliks, take Lilli und Ali. Vest und I are going to make sure Mutti's able to get out. If we get too far apart in all this, we meet outside Berlin, west side." There were several reasons why he chose west. If they could all get out alive, they could possibly head for Switzerland or Austria. Yeah, it would take some time getting there, but it was the only thing he could think of. Prussia was out of the question since it was too close to Russia. Same with Poland.

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><p>One by one, the servants were gathering all they could carry. A tall brunette man was busy getting three children - well, two children and a teenager - together. "Senor Vargas, what's going on?" the boy asked.<p>

"Antonio, take Lovi and Feli out of here. I'ma gonna make sure the princes and princesses make it outa alright. Lovi, ifa I don't amake it aback, I'm awanting you to take good care of Feli. Do you understand?"

"S-si. Ti amo, Nonno."

"Ti amo, Lovi. Ti amo, Feli."

"T-ti amo, Nonno." With that, the three Italians hugged each other, the girls' new caretaker sure they'd never see Romulus Vargas again. Antonio quickly picked up the girls and ran, looking for one of the hidden doors that seemed to be all over the place.

Half way down the hall of the east wing, he saw the oldest prince dragging the youngest the other way towards their mother's room. "G- Gil? ! Amigo, what are you _doing?_"

"Seeing if mein mutti can survive leaving this place. I can't leave her to that creep."

"Gil, that's suicide. Get Ludwig out of here!"

"Nein. I von't lose mein entire family. I'm too awesome for that." This was madness. They'd lost their emperor, Lovina and Felicia were about to lose their grandfather, and Antonio was sure he'd lose his best friend. But he couldn't stop in his promise to look after and protect these girls in order to make sure his friend made it out alive. "Hey, could you make sure Feliks isn't getting into any trouble trying to get Lilli und Alice out of here. I'd try finding Francis to do it, but I'm a bit tied up."

He could always help his friend's sisters and brother, however. And it was a wonder that he hadn't seen Francis either. All he could do was help get as many people out of here before Ivan showed up. "Alright. C'mon, girls." Normally Lovina would be yelling at him, but she was being unnaturally quiet. Felicia looked in his eyes and saw the fear and concern hidden there, a slight trace of a tear lingering in the corners of each eye. He hugged them close for a moment before running to find the three he was sent after. Gilbert may have been his best friend, but he still knew how to take an order from the oldest prince.

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><p>Romulus was busy helping Vash and Roderich direct everybody to various exits. They'd be safe once outside the city. If only he knew for certain if he'd ever see his darling granddaughters grow into fine young women. "Alright, boys, that'sa the last of them! Let'sa get you out now. No need to worry your sisters."<p>

The blond and brunette teens didn't say a word, knowing the man was right. Soon they felt a tremor shake the palace. It was . . . unnatural. "Ah. Two birds and one stone, da? It's been a long time, Romulus."

"Not long enough for me. Go on, you two. Get out. And tell my girls Nonno says ti amo."

_**"MR. VARGAS!"** _Roderich yelled out while reaching for the man. His brother had to hold him back.

"There's nothing we can do for him, Roderich. The best we can do is get out of here and tell his granddaughters." Did Roderich ever mention how much he hated when Vash was right?

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><p>Alice held her sister close to her side as they followed right behind Feliks. She could feel Lilli trembling with fear. The girl had every right to be afraid. They were slated for death, their father was gone, their mother was ill, all of them were split up, and Ivan was probably inside the palace by now. There were so many things wrong with this. Then they felt the tremor.<p>

"This, like, totally sucks. I just want things, like, back to normal. You know?" Tears were now beginning to break free. He'd been trying to be strong for everyone, especially their baby sister. "This is, like, totally unawesome."

"Feliks, it's okay. Everything will be alright. We're almost to an exit, right?"

The boy nodded, just hoping to see his best friend again. "Y-you're totally right. Lilli, can I have a hug?" The younger girl kneeled where he sat and wrapped her arms around him. It was only a moment, since they had to keep moving, but it was nice to have a hug from their most innocent sibling.

"Ready?" Alice asked soon after.

"For anything."

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><p>"MUTTI!"<p>

The weakened woman on the bed looked up at her eldest son. Of all her boys, he and Roderich were the only ones that didn't look a thing like her or Alaric. But they loved all of them the same. Behind him was her youngest son, the spitting image of her deceased husband. Why were they here? Why couldn't Gilbert just leave her there and get Ludwig away from Berlin? They had to hide him from Ivan. The Russian wanted them all dead, but he wanted Ludwig dead above all others. That was why the youngest boy was named first. Her staying would give them time to leave. Ivan would try getting informaton from her, but she knew that tonight was her last.

Ludwig ran to her bedside, crying. Somehow, she knew they'd all been doing that a lot tonight. She could also tell that Gilbert was doing his best to not let the tears fall like all the others.

"Hush, now, lad. What would your father say, seeing you like this?"

"I don't care! I don't want to lose anyone else!"

"You won't, love. You're father and I are always inside your heart. As are your brothers and sisters. You're not losing anybody. You just can't feel or see them. But you _can _sense them. That's how Alice knows things. She takes the time considering everyone. It's how she knew we were all in danger so early on. It's also how I know she knew, how I can know when you're upset without seeing you, how I know when you're hurt when I'm not around, and how I know that you won't ever give up on seeing your siblings again," she said those last words while looking into Gilbert's eyes. "Now go before Ivan finds you."*

"Ja, Mutti. Ich liebe dich."

"I know. I love you, too, Gilbert. Keep Ludwig safe."

"Ich liebe dich, Mutti," Ludwig told her, planting a kiss on his mother's cheek in farewell. In response, she kissed the top of his head.

The second the two had left out of a hidden exit in the wall, Ivan came in with blood on his coat. Surely he hadn't gotten one of the boys? "Where are the princes? Surely one would be with you."

"You're too late, Ivan. You'll never harm my children."

"We shall see, da? Have you met my little sister, Natalia?" The girl was barely older than Alice!

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><p>He was almost out. Soon he and Toris would find the others and get out of there. Maybe they would find Antonio on the way? That would be the greatest blessing they could ever have at a time like this. And maybe Gilbert had made it out safely with his siblings. Turning left down the hall hidden behind the main walls, Francis could've sworn he'd seen three familiar blond heads. He'd seen others wandering about, but these three? They should've known this place like the backs of their hands.<p>

"Feliks!"

"T-Toris? Toris!" the oldest of the three present siblings cried out upon seeing the brunette.

Despite what he was sure the older girl would say, Francis wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. She was surprisingly small for her age. Yet, to his surprise, she didn't say a word. Alice just broke down crying, her younger sister following suite as she clutched at his shirt. "Hush, now. We're almost out," he told them.

"I want Big Bruder Vash," Lilli whimpered. "That shake made me worry."

" 'E'll be fine." He knew this for a fact, since he and Toris had passed the body of Romulus Vargas. It was a known fact that Ivan only killed those he wanted dead and those who got in the way. The Italian had obviously been in the way. He'd been helping the two older princes get everyone to exits. His was the only body there. Vash and Roderich had made it.

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><p>Gilbert was royally pissed. First that Russian ruins West's birthday Christmas, then his father dies, now he was running away like a coward from the Russian who had probably just killed his mother. This was the most unawesome year he'd ever had. That included the year Alice had started her cooking lessons with his friend Francis Bonnefoy. Bad idea to let the head chef's nephew give his sister cooking lessons.

_'No. Dammit! It could be even more unawesome than it is now. We could have that guy right in front of us.'_

Ludwig was starting to become weak. Whether it was from trying not to cry, like his big brother, or from all the running they'd been doing, he wasn't sure. "Bruder, wait up," he said in desperate attempt to get Gilbert to slow down. The albino boy eventually stopped and slung his baby brother onto his back.

"No slacking off, Vest. Ve have to see everyvone again."

"Ja." Slowly, Ludwig began nodding off.

As quickly as possible, Gilbert started weaving his way through people in the streets. Why were so many people awake this late? Looking behind him, he saw the faint beginnings of sunrise. Damn. Was it really morning already? _'Come on, we're almost out. Just hold on, West.' _Sadly, Gilbert failed to notice the failing grip Ludwig had on his neck. It was all too late to change things when some random person bumped into them, causing the younger German to let go.

Ludwig's head quickly met the ground as he fell from his brother's back, making him slightly whine in pain. Around him, the first snow of the year began falling, winter finally making it self known as the palace was set ablaze in the distance.

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><p><strong>Atemna: Officially the longest chap I've ever written. Yay! Why do I feel like I'm killing off the Ancients? In the wrong order, no less. <strong>

***Remember this as well as possible.**


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